Maurizio Sarri, the Napoli coach, was sent off as his side wasted a chance to return to the top of Serie A when they were held 1-1 at home by Milan in a tense encounter on Monday.

The hosts, 4-0 winners at San Siro earlier this season, went ahead in the 39th minute when Lorenzo Insigne’s 30-yard effort took a wicked deflection off Ignazio Abate and wrong-footed the Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

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Milan levelled five minutes later with their first shot on target, the unmarked Giacomo Bonaventura turning the ball in at the far post on the volley after it was unwittingly headed into his path by the Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly.

The home side dominated the second half but became edgy as they struggled to score a second goal, with Sarri being dismissed in the 73rd minute for persistent dissent.

Dries Mertens went closest for Napoli in the second half when he turned the ball against the foot of the post, while his team-mate Omar El Kaddouri forced a point-blank save from Donnarumma.

Milan almost ended Napoli’s unbeaten home league record late on when Keisuke Honda’s powerful low drive was turned around the post by Pepe Reina.

Napoli, chasing their first league title since 1990, now have 57 points from 26 games and sit one behind Juventus who drew 0-0 at Bologna on Friday. Milan on the other hand moved to within eight points of third-placed Fiorentina in the final Champions League spot.